If you’re planning on selling your home, you’ve probably already started to consider how you’re going to stage it. Staging is one of the most important parts of the selling process. The way you present your home is key to leaving a positive impression on a potential buyer. Let’s explore a few ways that you can stage smaller outdoor spaces to make them feel like they’re much more than they are.

Go With Smaller Furniture Options

If you’re trying to stage a small patio, deck or yard area, you’ll want to stick with smaller furnishings. Yes, that means packing up the enormous hammock or chaise lounge that you love to lazy around on. Remember, perspective is going to matter as potential buyers have never seen your outdoor spaces before. So any large furniture sitting in a small space is going to appear to be that much bigger.

One great idea is to use furniture that you can see through, as it will give the illusion that the area around it is much larger. Consider options like open-backed or Adirondack chairs which let light pass through.

Use Glass To Create A Spacious Illusion

Keeping visibility in mind, the second trick you’ll want to leverage is to use as much glass as possible. Glass-top tables and other transparent items which let light through are an excellent way to highlight a small space. And don’t forget – keep any glass spotlessly clean! The last thing you want is to be showing off a pile of greasy fingerprints.

Take Your Plants Vertical

Another excellent tactic for making the most of smaller spaces is to grow any plants vertically. If you have the room for it, a plant wall can really shine as it adds a pop of green and other colors to the area. If not, just stick with slender plants that grow straight up. Try to avoid plants that tend to spread out wide as they grow. If they look like they’re taking up a lot of space, any potential buyers touring through will have the impression that your outdoor areas are smaller than they are.

There you have it – three easy tips for staging your small, intimate outdoor spaces. When you’re ready to list and sell your home, contact your local real estate professionals.

Are you going to sell your house in the near future? If it’s a bit of a ‘fixer-upper’ – meaning that it’s in need of some renovation work – you may find some challenges in marketing it to potential buyers. Reducing the listing price is one option available to you, but there are other ways to highlight this kind of home. Let’s have a look at three key areas that you’ll want to focus on when trying to sell a home in less than perfect condition.

Push The Customization Angle

First, try to keep in mind that most potential buyers who are on the market for a fixer-upper are likely to be interested in customizing the home. Be sure to highlight any key areas that are ripe for change. Is the décor in your kitchen a little dated? No problem – it’s a chance for your buyer to build the kitchen they’ve always dreamed of. Is the basement unfinished? There’s a perfect opportunity for a keen buyer to create a basement suite which they can then rent out to a new tenant.

Highlight The Surrounding Community

It’s a good idea to jot down a list of all of the benefits of living in your community. How are the schools? Is the area well-served by public transit? Are there any amenities like a community center worth mentioning? Is the neighborhood considered family-friendly? What are the neighbors like? Are there hospitals or other medical services nearby? What about running trails, area hikes or dog parks? Many buyers care more about their quality of life than they do about the condition of the house itself. If the community is in better shape than your home, spend more time highlighting how great it is to live in the area.

Promote The Overall Property Or Land Value

Finally, don’t overlook the value of the property that the house is sitting on. Buying real estate is a financial investment that will appreciate in value over time. While the house might get old and dated, the land will always retain value. Be sure to point out any positive land value trends to potential buyers.

These are just a few of the many ways that you can promote a fixer-upper home. For more information or to get your house on the market, contact your local professional real estate team. We’re happy to assist.

Are you shopping around for a new house or apartment? One of the key considerations you will need to make is figuring out how much you want to invest in your new home. Below you’ll find our quick and easy guide to determining just how much “house” you can afford. Let’s get started!

Start By Making A Proper Budget

The first thing you’ll want to do is sit down and get a full budget put together. The easiest way to get the process started is to begin with two lists: income and expenses. For the income list, write down the amount of money your family brings in each month after taxes. If you have side income sources or extra income that tends to fluctuate over time, use the average amount for the past six months.

For the expenses list, write down all the spending that you do each month. Start with the major, stable items like rent, utilities and the like. Then work your way through to discretionary spending like dining out and other sources of entertainment. If it helps, go through your bank and credit card statements to ensure that you are not missing anything.

Once you have an accurate budget, you’ll know exactly how much you can afford to pay toward your mortgage payments each month.

Figure Out How Much You Can Put Down

Next, you’ll need to think about how much cash you want to pay as a down payment on your home. The larger the down payment you can afford, the smaller amount of mortgage financing you’ll need. While it might seem like a good idea to put as much as you can down, there are some things to consider. Any money you put against your down payment is going to be unavailable to you, which reduces your financial options. You’ll also lose the opportunity to invest it, which means missing out on potential returns over time.

Determine How Much House You Actually Need

Finally, give some thought as to how large or luxurious a home you want to buy. For example, if you have a small family and don’t need a large four- or five-bedroom house, you can instead opt for a smaller but more luxurious home. Conversely, if space is a priority, you may want to forego the high-end options to ensure you have enough room.

When you’re ready to explore your options, we’re ready to help. Contact your trusted real estate professional at your convenience. We’re committed to helping you purchase the home of your dreams.

The negotiations are over. The seller has accepted your bid and the paperwork has been signed. Shortly, you’ll be handed the keys to your new home and you can start moving in. But of course, the work doesn’t end after the real estate closing process. In fact, it’s just beginning! In today’s article, we’ll share a few essential tasks that you’ll want to get to work on after the closing process is over.

Backup And Copy All Of The Paperwork

If you haven’t bought a house before, you’ll soon discover that there is a lot of paperwork involved in getting the deal done. From title deeds to tax documentation, the sheer number of forms that need to be read through and signed may seem endless. Once the closing process wraps up, it’s a good idea to make copies of all of the paperwork. Store these backups in a safe place where they can be referred to later if needed.

Change All Of The Locks

Next, you’ll want to change all of the exterior locks on the house. It might seem a bit overkill, but securing your home is important. Re-keying the locks is a one-time cost that can end up paying significant dividends should anyone attempt to break in. It’s also a chance to upgrade to stronger, more secure deadbolts. If you have a home alarm system or any keypad-style locks, be sure to change the codes on those as well.

Inspect The Water Heater

While it was almost certainly checked during the home inspection, take the time to have a quick look at the water heater. You’ll want to check the temperature setting to ensure it’s reasonable. Don’t forget that maintaining a high hot water temperature can be expensive over the long-term.

Give The Gutters A Quick Check

Finally, it’s worth getting out the ladder to give all of the gutters a quick inspection. Clogged gutters can end up causing significant roof damage if left unchecked. You’ll want to ensure that both the horizontal gutters and the vertical drains are clear of leaves, twigs and other debris. As long as rainwater can drain out smoothly, you’re all set. Note that safety should be your priority here. If you don’t have a suitable ladder or you aren’t comfortable with heights, consider paying a professional.

The closing process is always an exciting time. If you’re in the market for a new home or would like to know more about real estate opportunities in the local area, contact your local real estate professional.

Last week’s economic readings included the National Association of Home Builders Housing Market Index and readings on housing starts and building permits issued. Consumer sentiment for August was reported by the University of Michigan. Weekly reports on mortgage rates and new jobless claims were also released.

NAHB: Builder Confidence Jumps 4 Points in August

Builder confidence in housing market conditions improved by four index points in August after reaching its lowest reading in eight months in July. Builder confidence rose in consideration of a strong labor market and overall economic growth. Obstacles including labor shortages, rising materials costs and a lack of buildable lots continued to present obstacles to builders producing homes at a pace sufficient to meet high demand and alleviate low inventories of homes for sale.

Housing starts were lower in July at a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 1.155 million starts and fell short of 1.229 million starts. 1.223 million starts were reported in July. Single family home construction was higher as builders focus on meeting demand for single-family homes. Building permits issued in July were also lower at a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 1.223 million permits issued as compared to July’s reading of 1,275 million permits issued.

First-time jobless claims were lower last week with 232,000 new claims filed as compared to expectations of 241,000 new claims and 244,000 new claims filed the prior week.

August’s reading for the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index was higher at 97.6 as compared to an expected reading of 94.8 and July’s index reading of 93.4. Growing consumer confidence could along with improving job markets and economic expansion could prompt renters to buy homes.

What‘s Ahead

This week’s scheduled economic reports include readings on sales of new and previously owned homes along with weekly readings on mortgage rates and new jobless claims.